Improvement in games



, 2 Sheets sheet 1. EDWARD J. BROOKS.

, .lmproyement in Games. 124,786, r I Patented March19,1872.

ED'WARD-J. BROOKS.

Improvement in. Games. No 124,786, Patented March19,l872;

WITNESSES AM FHOTO-UTHDERAFH/L m. It 2 Msann/m? mouss/ be folded together for convenience in packing.

EDYVARD J. BROOKS, OF YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN GAMES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 124,786, dated March 19, 1872.

Specification of a new Game and apparatus therefor, invented by EDWARD J. BROOKS, of city, county, and State of New York.

-My game is denominated basquette, and may be adapted either for the lawn or the parlor. The apparatus for playing it consists of three gates, three fences, a counter, a sufficient number of ground-holders for receiving and supporting the aforesaid gates, fences, and counter, two or more mallets, and an equal number of balls. The invention further relates to the particular construction of some of the appliances hereinafter described, said appliances being adapted for playing croquet and some other games, as well as for my new game of basquette. a

In the drawing, Figure 1 represents one of the gates; Fig. 2, one of the fences; Fig. 3, the counter; Fig. 4, one of the ground-holders Fig. 5, a ball; Fig. 6, a mallet. Fig. 7, Sheet 2, represents the game laid out upon a field or lawn, or upon a suitable board or table if de signed for indoor use.

The gates A are made of iron and suitably ornamented. Each gate consists essentially of two posts or standards, a a, connected by a cross-bar, c, at top, in the center of which cross-bar is cast the Roman numeral V, indicating that each ball passing through a gate counts five, as hereinafter explained. The fences B are also made of iron and ornamented. They are of the same height as the gates, and consist each of four posts or standards, I) I), connected togeth er in pairs. Each pair may be cast in one piece, with three, more or less, connecting crossbars, d d. The two members I) d and b d are then connected together by a central bar or arch, e, hinged at one'end to one of the posts b, and atthe other end to one of the posts b, so that the entire fence may The central bar 6 has cast in the center the numeral X to indicate that each ball passing through a fence counts ten. The counter F may also be made of iron. It is about three feet high and one foot and three-fourths wide, and consists essentially of two posts or standards, f f, and a connecting-bar, g, which bar is provided with a partition, h, and its upper edge with two series of notches divided by the said partition, each series consisting of twenty notches, numbered consecutively 5, 10, 15, 850.,

up to 100, and being used for keeping the score of each side of one or more players. The scores are kept by means of markers 1' t" sliding on the respective parts of the bar g. The ground-holders J are also made of iron, cast in triangular form, about an inch in diameter at top, four and a half inches in length, and tapering to a point at the bottom. They are provided with a hole, j, in the center to receive the respective posts above described, and are preferably made with longitudinal flanges 70 at the angles, as shown in Fig. 4.

The ground-holders are adapted for other games besides basquette. They can be used in the game of croquet to hold wickets. The halls, Fig. 5, and mallets, Fig. 6, may be made of any suitable wood, and are similar to those used in the game of croquet.

The halls should be colored red, blue, white, black, green, and yellow.

Laying out the Game.

the gates A in a triangle at equal distance from each other, about nine feet from the center of the field or lawn, or at a greater or less distance, as the players may desire. Then place the fences B in another triangle at equal dis tance from each other, about twelve feet from the center of the field, so that the gates will be between them, or at greater or less distance, as preferred, and then place the counter at about four feet from some one gate facing the game, or, if desirable, in any other position. But, before the above gates, fences, or counter are placed, the ground-holders must be driven into the ground in the position the above are to occupy, seeing that they are placed exactly at the right distance from each other, so that the above can be dropped into them without difiiculty.

How the Game is Played.

two, or three on a side. The side which gets one hundred first, by going through any or all the gates and fences one or more times, wins the game, which is to be indicated by the counter. Each player having a ball and mallet, and the gates, fences, and counter having been arranged as shown in Sheet 2 of the drawing, the game is ready to commence.

The arrows in the-drawin g, Sheet 2, indicate the side the balls are to go through of the gates and fences.

If a player hit with his ball or frappe any of the others of the opposing side or one of his own side, he can either gate it or fence it, or let the ball lie and take another strike. To frappe a ball means, after you have hit with your ball the ball of another player, to strike the ball you hit with your mallet and send it. or try to, through a gate or fence; which, in case it goes through and is an enemys ball, takes five or ten from his side; or, if one of your own-side balls, it adds five or ten to your side; the act of doing this is called frappe. The term gate it or gating a ball means'to frappe either a ball of your enemys or one of your own side through a gate. The term fenced means that a ball after going through a fence is in a safe position, and cannot be hit or moved by any other hall; and the term fence it or fencing a ball is to frappe either a ball of your enemys or one of your own side through a fence. N 0 player can, however, frappe a ball until he has been through a gate, and no player can frappe a ball that has not been through a gate.

The holder of the red ball places his ball in the center of the fieldthat is, somewhere within a circle afoot from the center-and endeavors, by striking it with the end of his mallet, to drive it through any of the gates. If he succeeds it counts five for his side, to be indicated by the counter by placing the slide over 5, and gives him another turn, when he must try and send his ball through another gate or fence. If it goes through a fence it counts ten more for his side. He then places the slide over 15, and his turn ends, he being in a safe position or fenced, as it is termed; but if he does not succeed in going through he must let his ball remain where it rolled, and WVhen red (we use the color of his turn ends.

the balls to designate the players) has finished, black plays. He does the same that red did-- plays for one of the gates. If he goes through it counts five for his side, to be indicated by the counter, and gives him another turn, when he can knock his ball through another gate or fence. If he does not succeed in going through the gate at the first strike he must let his ball remain until his next turn,when he picks it up and again places it in the center and tries it over again after red is done. The other players follow in the order in which they are chosen. Each time a player gets five or ten it is to be indicated by the counter. After they have all played it again comes to reds turn. He tries to frappe one of the other balls or go through another gate or fence. After red is done black again plays, and so on until one of the sides have succeeded in getting one hundred. A player is not allowed to go through any of the fences until he has gone through one of the gates. A player in going through a gate always has another strike, but cannot go through the same gate twice in the same turn; but in going through a fence his turn always ends, and he is fenced.

I am aware that various counters have been employed for different games. My claim on these devices is for the specific construction of the same.

Claims.

\Vhat I claim as new in this my invention is-- 1. The gates A, fences B, counter F, balls, Fig. 5, and mallets, Fig. 6, when arranged and employed, substantially as herein shown and described, for playing my new game of basquette.

2. The counter F, composed of the posts or standards ff, connecting bar g with two series of notches, separated by partition h and the markers 6 i, constructed and combined, as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

3. I claim the folding fences B, constructed and employed substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

. EDWARD J. BROOKS.

Witnesses:

FRANK G. LANG, F. W. BROOKS. 

